Signed versions of this comic are known
to exist. The River Group distributed free copies of this comic to
retailers
inJanuary
of 1994.

Notes/Plot Summary

This is the
second ongoing series introduced
by Defiant Comics. This story follows Dark
Dominion #0 which was released as a
binder and card set .

The story
begins with Michael Alexander narrating
about fear and it's grip on the night life of New York. The setting is
that of Michael Alexander drinking eating at McDonalds. A Mr. Jenkins
walks
up to Michael and introduces himself. While discussing Mr. Jenkins'
problems
and concerns, another man goes crazy with a knife threatening
to
cut everyone. A man tries to calm the crazy guy down and he gets cut on
the hand in the process. Michael separates from his discussion and walk
from the real world into the substratum, "the Quantum Field". In the
substratum
he is invisible to everyone except the crazy man and we see that the
crazy
man has a monster on his back that is controlling him. Michael kills
the
monster controlling the man and the crazy man falls to his knees.
Michael
turns from the crazy man and notices for an instance a woman in the
substratum.
The woman disappears before he gets a clear view. The crazy man is now
calm and he apologizes. Mr. Jenkins overhears the discussion Michael
has
with the crazy man and now understands what he must do. As Michael
leaves the McDonalds, we see
monsters and thorny growths in the substratum everywhere. In the
substratum,
Michael can walk through fixed solid objects. He does so and once again
while walking on the street, he glimpses the elusive woman he saw in
McDonalds. She eludes him
again. A couple of
hours later, Michael is talking
to a woman called Mercy who is quoting Biblical scripture. Michael
calls
her his "guide through the darkness". Michael has brought her some
food.
Michael tells Mercy that he saw a woman and a person other than Chasm
(Charles
Mal). To help Michael understand what he is dealing with, Mercy leads
Michael
to a hidden entrance to an old section of subway. Michael is stunned to
see that the thorny growths an monsters in the substratum are worse.
While
there he battles and defeats one much larger than himself. They
continue
on their journey. Mercy questions his desire o go forward. Michael
tells
her knowledge is power and that he wishes to know the truth. They finally reach a man
named Salvage (Sal).
Michael asks Sal if he knows anything about the woman Michael saw. Sal
tells Michael that he doesn't but that there are whispers of stories
about
people who'd learned to enter the substratum, but spent so much time,
they'd
lost the ability to go back to the real world. At that moment, Michael
and Mercy both see the woman motioning in the substratum. They also see
"Nightgaunts" come through a wall and take her forcefully. She screams
"no" as they get away. Michael chases after her to help. Michael
catches
up and the light he radiates in the substratum is enough to defeat the
Nightgaunts. While Michael is paying attention to them, the woman slugs
Michael and knock him to the ground. He looks up and the woman gloats.
Chasm appears and joins them. Chasm
introduces Sheba, a shape shifting
"Plaguer" and gloats about his ability to create fear. Chasm summons a
hoard of monsters to attack Michael. Michael defeats them, but while he
is occupied, one of his henchmen in the real world has taken a knife to
Mercy's throat. Michael returns to the real world and is knocked out by
two other henchmen. Michael is dragged to a steam pit and tossed in.
The
story ends.

This story
introduces several key elements. 1)
Michael is new to the Dark Dominion and has much to learn. 2) He cannot
be in both the real world and the substratum at the same time. 3) There
is a risk that he will not be able to return to the real world in he
stays
too long. 4) Charles Mal (Chasm) is ruthless and will not stop at anything
to
get his way (including murder).

Signed versions exist with the following DEFIANT Certificate of Authenticity.
Signed comics and Certificates of Authenticity can be forged, so they
are not listed on the checklist. Signed versions exist with the following Dynamic Forces Inc. Certificate of Authenticity.
Signed comics and Certificates of Authenticity can be forged, so they
are not listed on the checklist.